Some free advice to Victorinox.

[GrouchoM]

What makes a flipper better than a typical one hand opening knife a la Benchmade  or Spyderco?

Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect™

[264]

I agree that cellidor is plant based. Victorinox was way ahead of the times using and staying with those scales. They are an environmentally friendly choice.  And the company is proud of it. To my understanding the first plastics were plant based. I want to point out I do not have a problem personally regarding the finish of the scales or tools. My OP was just an attempt to get Victorinox to think how they could appeal more to young consumers.  I am in my sixties and some of the things young people complain about just leaves me confused. I am not talking about the price of housing, food, and health care. When I mentioned custom made knives I am not referring to the off white designer knife or special edition products but custom knives designed by people like you and I. Hey Victorinox make me a knife with these 3 tools and Ti scales please. That kind of custom. I have read that young people both in India and China are going to be their target consumers now. I have also read that Victorinox states that earning have been flat for the last two years. I am not trying to bad mouth them. Now regarding special types of steel. I think the steel they use is fine but certain types of young people think the steel is low quality and not good enough for their needs and wants. 

[Etherealicer]

1) Find a way to make your red cellidor scales more scratch resistant or at least have fewer scratches on them when new.
2) Polish the aluminum liner edges to give your product a higher quality look.
3) Increase the shine on your tools or at least make the level of polish more consistent.  New consumers will be impressed.

What makes Victorinox great is that they deliver great value at an affordable price. All those suggestions would hike the price up without adding much to the tool. Personally, I don't want that.

4) Stop thinking you have created every knife variation ever needed to cover all uses. Tell your engineers to sit down and create a platform for your 58mm/91mm models so consumers can order products with just the tools and scales types they want. Sell premium scales made out of fancy metal that consumers can purchase from Victorinox and install themselves with screws. 

Changing the construction would add cost, a lot of cost (Labor cost in Switzerland is high, the only reason Victorinox can produce relatively cheap is automation.). But moreover you can have all that, just get a mod. Which means we get the best of both worlds. You can get an inexpensive SAK from Victorinox and if you feel like getting a bit more pocket jewelry (not judging, I have 3 customs) you order it from a modder or do it yourself.

5) Swiss quality and innovation sells your products. Then use that talent to fix the 84mm scissor machine and start selling 84mm climber models.

Victorinox already has a huge range of SAKs. Considering that BtoC they mostly sell Classics, I don't think that would make them huge profits.
And I neither see companies or government (armed forces/law enforcement etc) order that.
That said, I would definitively buy a Cadet-X
But this is more wishful thinking rather than sound advice

6) Now regarding those flipper style knives that are outselling your products. Create a line of flippers that make all others pale in comparison. Yes, use some different steel. Make them open easily and lock when open as a choice. Have a good New Year.

Flippers are outside of Victornioxes competence. I think it is well to leave that to Boker/Civivi et al.


Here is my advice to Victorinox (not that they need it):
- Create blade-less SAKs and SwissTools.
- Find a replacement for the can-opener (Cans are a thing of the past in many parts of the world. And the few remaining cans are self-opening)

[Shuya]

- Find a replacement for the can-opener (Cans are a thing of the past in many parts of the world. And the few remaining cans are self-opening)

Well, no, i have to disagree on that point.
If you only see a can opener in this very tool, its up to you.
Plus I see lots of cans without pulltabs in our stores and witnessed plenty of these tabs to fail.

Just mod this layer out.

Victorinox is not a company just for us geeks, most people dont even notice the points the TO mentioned, for them a genuine SAK is top of the quality tree. And a lot of people dont even carry a knife at all...
Like all brands they have to stay in buisiness and already have or had hard times.
They offer good products, for the extra 20% fit and finish you would need to pay the extra 80% more.
If you want custom quality, get a custom knife.

[nate j]

What makes a flipper better than a typical one hand opening knife a la Benchmade  or Spyderco?

They are not necessarily objectively better. 

Flippers do tend to be quicker to open (and thus also more fun to play with) than typical thumb stud or thumb hole OHO knives.

Flippers are also usually designed to facilitate easy one handed closing, which isn’t always the case with other OHO knives.  Personally, I find typical (axis lock) Benchmades easy to close one handed, but typical (back lock) Spydercos easier and safer to close two handed.

One disadvantage (again, just my opinion) is that most flippers are liner locks or frame locks, which I consider to be not as secure and not as strong as some other lock types.

[Vidar]

Victorinox has their focus and seems to stick to that - at least under their own brand name. I would not be surprised at all if they also make knives and other relevant parts for other brands and companies. (And similarly, licensing their brand name to other relevant categories).

As for Victorinox going bust I don't see that happening. They are privately held so they don't have to cater for stock brokers desires for specialization, and can diversify as they have done to ride out issues in any one sector. More over, if you don't have debt your chances of going bust is significantly reduced. (At the cost of the owners potential profit per invested dollar). There is a claim that Victorinox has never applied for a single bank loan. All this tells me that this company is managed to stay around, and the owners think in terms of eternity, rather than try to optimize for short terms profits and the risks come with that.

As for custom models Victorinox makes them - you just have to buy enough volume. In practical terms custom models for single sales would only work in an online saleschannel with direct sale to customers. Their distributors, and online distributors in particular, would likely not be too happy about that. Few companies with distributors tries to combine that with competing at the consumer level with their own distributors. Besides, the distributors might very well be better at it and have lower costs doing it as they stock and ship all kinds of stuff.

Of course improved quality, but I wouldn't pay much more for it. So I get what I pay for. I do welcome new models and new innovation though - to me different motives on the scales doesn't really increase value or interest. New or better tools and solutions would.

[Farmer X]

My OP was just an attempt to get Victorinox to think how they could appeal more to young consumers.

That is a good and valid point. Broadening a customer base when a company has many loyal and traditionalist customers can be very difficult (Harley-Davidson is a great example).

Like many of us, I do not understand precisely why Victorinox does some of the things they do. But I'm sure one of their bean-counters has to have determined that such decisions make sense from a business standpoint. I don't have a head for business, so that could go a long way to explaining why I don't understand putting the really spiffy scales in Classic SDs and Classic SDs only.

[Aloha]

Threads like this are always great for conversation  .

[Simon_Templar]

I like the idea of Vic's website offering customizable SAKs. Provided the process can indeed be automated to a high degree, Vic could turn a handsome profit by directly marketing those SAKs to aficionados. At the same time, I doubt their distribution partners would mind given that such customized, expensive SAKs wouldn't really compete with - usually heavily discounted - standard SAKs for the general population.

[Vidar]

If they only do customs version that might not conflict much with distributor interests. Whether it would make business sense to start a separate direct sales channel is another matter.

On another note the variety, styles and custom add-ons offered by third-party custom makers will likely always offer a wider range of custom options and true one offs. To the degree you want a custom to have something special that might be a factor as a standardized online custom service will likely work within a limited range of options.

I do think we can have the best of both worlds if Victorinox opens up for low volume sales at a part level to third-party customizers. Say packages of 50 or 100 of each part. That way third-party customizers have access to the parts needed for their specific customs, while Victorinox can service and benefit from the thriving customs community without launching or operating competitive direct sales. If they are serious about it they might even make an approval process so some can become officially approved customizers.

On a design level it would be interesting with a model that is easier to customize. Then again, if one model can be changed to what you want how will they sell you the 25 other variations? 

[marlowe221]

That is a good and valid point. Broadening a customer base when a company has many loyal and traditionalist customers can be very difficult (Harley-Davidson is a great example).

Like many of us, I do not understand precisely why Victorinox does some of the things they do. But I'm sure one of their bean-counters has to have determined that such decisions make sense from a business standpoint. I don't have a head for business, so that could go a long way to explaining why I don't understand putting the really spiffy scales in Classic SDs and Classic SDs only.

That's a great analogy regarding Harley Davidson. When's the last time you saw someone under 30 on a Harley? For that matter, I can't remember the last time I saw someone under 50 on a Harley!

I don't want Victorinox to become a brand that slowly dies out because it's traditional customer base slowly dies out. But I also don't want to see the company lose its identity either.

I don't have much experience with their other products, but to me Victorinox has always meant good quality pocket knives that have useful tools at a reasonable cost. I would like the brand to continue to be just that!

[Tasky]

That's a great analogy regarding Harley Davidson. When's the last time you saw someone under 30 on a Harley? For that matter, I can't remember the last time I saw someone under 50 on a Harley!

Young people don't want to pay 2022 prices for 1950s tech.
Young people also tend not to have that level of disposable income and/or are too busy focussed on more shiny modes of displaying their wealth.
Saying that, as a biker and sometime mechanic myself since 1996, I'd not ride a Harley if you paid me. Horrid things.

- Find a replacement for the can-opener (Cans are a thing of the past in many parts of the world. And the few remaining cans are self-opening)

Tinned food sales have been steadily increasing by 2-3% each year since 2018, as it tends to be cheaper. About 95% of the cans in my cupboard (and there's a good 50 of them) require a can opener.
Most low budget and much of the high end artisanal-style tinned foods in this country do not have ring pulls. That's a feature mostly limited to lower middle class food brands, like Heinz.
We even still have some military rations that come in tins.

I am in my sixties and some of the things young people complain about just leaves me confused.

That doesn't mean Vic ought to pander to their whims, though... or that the complaints have any particular merit.

[dks]

GEC offers 1900 technology, today, and people of all ages buy them

[aicolainen]

As a customer it's pretty hard to give generic advice to a company. I of course know what I want (well, some times, but often not), and I have some sense of what would appeal to the very small group of enthusiasts that I interact with, but that can hardly compete with the immense data set available to decision makers at Victorinox.
And the problem with sales data is of course that it's retrospective. A company that want's to survive into the future should keep two thoughts in their head at the same time; Follow the trends and feed the market with what's currently in demand, as well as innovate and position themselves to set the next trend. One of Steve Jobs' mantras was that a company should not be afraid to cannibalize its own product, if you don't, someone else will. Vic's business model is quite unique in the MT space, so they probably don't run the risk of any competitor taking big chunks of their market share over night, but over time they are better off outcompeting themselves than leaving a vacuum for someone else to fill.
And while speaking about Steve Jobs, I'm pretty sure he would tell you those young people don't really know what they want, you have to show them. With that said, the young(er) demographic is more important than ever for this business. Not only are the current customer base going to die off eventually, but the younger generation is also shaping the future to a larger degree. Making knife based products that appeals to this group will hopefully (in my most euphoric dreams) revert the course of society back to being more accepting of knives and normalizing their place in everyday life.

Regarding flippers, I don't think they are neither here nor there. Obviously they've been quite popular for a while, but I also think these designs appeal disproportionally to the pocket jewelry and status signaling crowd, so visibility does probably not reflect real sales numbers. Overbuilt titanium, frame lock flippers were always a fad IMO, that's not to say no one finds them useful, but the market was clearly over saturated with these specific knives for a good while. Luckily they don't seem to be as prevalent anymore, and the offerings appear to becoming more diverse. This is good.
I don't think the design constraints of a flipper design is a good fit for Victorinox's production process and it's also not obvious to me that this is the best way to capture the demographic in question. While there's probably no shortage of mall ninjas and desktop operators among millennials and zoomers, they are easily outnumbered by the virtue signalers. Targeting that audience has bigger potential and is much closer to home turf for Victorinox.   

Victorinox has geared their operation toward high volume production with tight tolerances and puts out high value products, typically at a fairly low price point. They do this very well and that's no easy feat in a western high cost country. Any endeavor outside of this business model would come at great risk to their investment and steal focus from their main operation. Their cash cow. An automated production line for custom knives is a big departure from what they're doing now, and would require large investments in machines and competence. Only to fight for market shares in a limited market where there is already lots of skilled players and competition.
I think it would make more sense for them to analyze the ecosystem they are a part of, where it's heading and figure out how they can best serve it while still doing what they do best. Besides, the large ecosystem of modders and 3. party accessory makers may not play an insignificant part in their current success. So you're not always better off by outcompeting those to have that market for your self. As an anecdote to that, Sal Glesser of Spyderco has stated that's exactly why they don't make or offer alternative pocket clip designs for their knives. They simply don't want to compete with the large number of 3. party actors, which are arguably part of the reason Spydercos are so popular.

Knowing that I'm just a single data point, I won't give any advice to Victorinox, but if I could put in a request, it would be that they stay on their current level of price and quality, and innovate to make models more specifically targeted at different use cases/roles. E.g. electricians, mechanics, IT/electronics, camper, backpacker, bushcrafter, doomsday prepper, office worker, bladeless options, OHO knifes on 84/91/93mm models etc.
As an example, I don't think the can opener is outdated, necessarily. But it makes little sense on the CyberTool or any other tool targeted for most modern humans living and working in an urban environment. But I would rather not be without a can opener on my backpacking/hiking MT.

[Tasky]

GEC offers 1900 technology, today, and people of all ages buy them

GEC doesn't exist any more. Neither does Marconi, really, and I doubt they're still making the same spec of stuff as they did in 1900.

The problem with custom SAKs is that many of the tool combinations people would want would require custom modding of the backsprings. SAKs are modular to an extent, in that one module contains a matched set of tools, such as the blades and corkscrew, another the openers and awl, another the scissors and hook... so within that there is perhaps limited scope for custom orders. Most of it is already covered by the current range of combinations, which are what Vic understand sells the most, hence dropping some models that us handful of enthusiasts would rather see continue.

Outside of that, you'd be looking at mostly expensive one-off orders, which would not suit the high volume production that keeps SAKs relatively affordable.
There might be a market for a sub-section of the business, where skilled modders with access to every Vic tool might knock up such custom orders, but the waiting time would still be long and likely not yield any profits sufficient for Vic.

[z1913]

50 or 100 of each part. That way third-party customizers have access to the parts needed for their specific customs, while Victorinox can service and benefit from the thriving customs community without launching or operating competitive direct sales. If they are serious about it they might even make an approval process so some can become officially approved customizers.

Isn't it basically what Swiss Bianco did? With Alox Ramblers and all the other special models? But I do not know why Swiss Bianco is out of business now (or remaining on very very limited level)

Then again, if one model can be changed to what you want how will they sell you the 25 other variations? 

I think this is really good and valid point!

[comis]

What makes Victorinox great is that they deliver great value at an affordable price. All those suggestions would hike the price up without adding much to the tool. Personally, I don't want that.
Changing the construction would add cost, a lot of cost (Labor cost in Switzerland is high, the only reason Victorinox can produce relatively cheap is automation.). But moreover you can have all that, just get a mod. Which means we get the best of both worlds. You can get an inexpensive SAK from Victorinox and if you feel like getting a bit more pocket jewelry (not judging, I have 3 customs) you order it from a modder or do it yourself.
Victorinox already has a huge range of SAKs. Considering that BtoC they mostly sell Classics, I don't think that would make them huge profits.
And I neither see companies or government (armed forces/law enforcement etc) order that.
That said, I would definitively buy a Cadet-X
But this is more wishful thinking rather than sound advice
Flippers are outside of Victornioxes competence. I think it is well to leave that to Boker/Civivi et al.


Here is my advice to Victorinox (not that they need it):
- Create blade-less SAKs and SwissTools.
- Find a replacement for the can-opener (Cans are a thing of the past in many parts of the world. And the few remaining cans are self-opening)

Mostly agree, except like Shuya, I too still find the can opener useful.  Majority of the cans I see nowadays have opening tabs, but the can opener comes in real handy when they don't.

As a knife and tool enthusiast, I am just thankful to Victorinox offerings and am glad to see they continue to thrive.

If there is any feedback I could give, the latest off-white SAK is way too niche. 

As a long time collector, the $500 1897 Spartan replica is still expensive but bearable, due to its historical significance.  But the $500 off-white is really just too much to swallow.  Victorinox is a brand known for good quality tool with great value and consistent QC, and it has stood the test of time by staying true to its form.  Off-white to me smells like the $1200 Gucci umbrella that is not rain proof,  and it is not Victorinox that world has well known and support.

[Etherealicer]

Well, no, i have to disagree on that point.
If you only see a can opener in this very tool, its up to you.
Plus I see lots of cans without pulltabs in our stores and witnessed plenty of these tabs to fail.
Just mod this layer out.

Well, I'm not saying to replace it on all tools.

IMHO a big limitation of Victorionox is, that almost all 91mm models share the opener + blade-layer. I think the Compact is so popular because it breaks that pattern.

So, what I'm suggesting is to expand on that idea, which would be fairly easy for them. Replace the can-opener with an electricians screwdriver / nailfile or an electrician blade (and dump the blade-layer), possibly combine it with the combi-tool. I think either of that options would make a great new toolset without having to spend a lot of money on R&D and manufacturing.

[dks]

GEC doesn't exist any more. Neither does Marconi, really, and I doubt they're still making the same spec of stuff as they did in 1900.

That will be a shock to all of us that bought their products last year !!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure you are talking about the same, knife making, company that is hugely fashionable, currently?

[marlowe221]

...

Knowing that I'm just a single data point, I won't give any advice to Victorinox, but if I could put in a request, it would be that they stay on their current level of price and quality, and innovate to make models more specifically targeted at different use cases/roles. E.g. electricians, mechanics, IT/electronics, camper, backpacker, bushcrafter, doomsday prepper, office worker, bladeless options, OHO knifes on 84/91/93mm models etc.
As an example, I don't think the can opener is outdated, necessarily. But it makes little sense on the CyberTool or any other tool targeted for most modern humans living and working in an urban environment. But I would rather not be without a can opener on my backpacking/hiking MT.

I want to second this sentiment. I think revisiting the idea of SAKs for different lines of work/hobby/etc is over due. I fall into a few of the categories you listed (IT/electronics, camper, and backpacker) and you're right - I do NOT want the same SAK for all of those activities because my needs are quite different depending on which one I'm doing.

Some current models fit pretty well. The Camper or Huntsman are great for camping, for example. And I'm sure there are others that similarly fit the job they appear to be intended for pretty well. But there are others that could use some review - the Cybertool line comes to mind. I work in IT and I don't own one and don't particularly want to. They could use a little modernization. A lot has changed in the world of IT since those models were introduced in the early 00s.

Well, I'm not saying to replace it on all tools.

IMHO a big limitation of Victorionox is, that almost all 91mm models share the opener + blade-layer. I think the Compact is so popular because it breaks that pattern.

So, what I'm suggesting is to expand on that idea, which would be fairly easy for them. Replace the can-opener with an electricians screwdriver / nailfile or an electrician blade (and dump the blade-layer), possibly combine it with the combi-tool. I think either of that options would make a great new toolset without having to spend a lot of money on R&D and manufacturing.

Well, if the rumors about the "Companion" are true we might soon see at least one model that replaces the can opener with a tool that promises to be handy for opening packages of all types (and in multiple ways).

[nate j]

Well, if the rumors about the "Companion" are true we might soon see at least one model that replaces the can opener with a tool that promises to be handy for opening packages of all types (and in multiple ways).

This rumor of a package opener tool has been going around for a while now.  I choose to remain skeptical in the absence of hard evidence, partly because the idea of a dedicated package opener on a tool that already has a knife blade seems so redundant and silly.

[Enginears]

Well, I'm not saying to replace it on all tools.

IMHO a big limitation of Victorionox is, that almost all 91mm models share the opener + blade-layer. I think the Compact is so popular because it breaks that pattern.

So, what I'm suggesting is to expand on that idea, which would be fairly easy for them. Replace the can-opener with an electricians screwdriver / nailfile or an electrician blade (and dump the blade-layer), possibly combine it with the combi-tool. I think either of that options would make a great new toolset without having to spend a lot of money on R&D and manufacturing.

The can opener is one of my most used tools, but never for actual can opening. I see what you mean, and agree that one opener being replaced by a shorter blade would open up tons of great tool combos.

One frustrating aspect of Vic is the fact that they have an entire line with the Spartan at its core, but the lonely Compact is left with only a few discontinued relatives. If it is easy enough for them to manufacture the compact, then why not have at least some bigger compact based models that include saws, files, pliers etc.  At least a few like they have on the Tinker line.

[marlowe221]

This rumor of a package opener tool has been going around for a while now.  I choose to remain skeptical in the absence of hard evidence, partly because the idea of a dedicated package opener on a tool that already has a knife blade seems so redundant and silly.

Sure, there's always going to be plenty of room for doubt until and unless Victorinox makes some announcement themselves. But I'm not sure it's that redundant. We are talking about a company that routinely puts multiple knife blades and scissors on the same pocket knife, for example. 

That said, I think it would be interesting to see a new tool enter the 91mm line. When is the last time that happened? The bit driver layer in the Cybertool models, which was over 20 years ago at this point? If there is another, newer tool that has been introduced in the 91mm SAKs I honestly don't know what it is (so please tell me!).

[Farmer X]

Off-white to me smells like the $1200 Gucci umbrella that is not rain proof.

That's a great analogy. Granted, I have knives that won't see use as long as I own them and we don't experience TEOTWAWKI...but they could be used for their intended purpose. As a user, the Off White would be horrible.

Exclusivity is not always a good thing.

[Vidar]

Some current models fit pretty well. The Camper or Huntsman are great for camping, for example. And I'm sure there are others that similarly fit the job they appear to be intended for pretty well. But there are others that could use some review - the Cybertool line comes to mind. I work in IT and I don't own one and don't particularly want to. They could use a little modernization. A lot has changed in the world of IT since those models were introduced in the early 00s.

The gift market is significant for SAKs and multitools. Thus I think that some of these names might cater more towards that than actual use. IE, for someone without a clue about SAKs looking for a gift at the shop it signals which one to give a hunter, trekker, camper and so on. Whether that is a great match in use can be so-so, but it does make it match at a gift level.


As for package opener I would welcome one that doesn't damage goods inside of cardboard boxes, and yet opens them easily. Some professions cut open lots of cardboard boxes everyday and a normal knife do at times cause unnecessary and sometimes costly damage.

[Tasky]

That will be a shock to all of us that bought their products last year !!!!!!!!!!
Are you sure you are talking about the same, knife making, company that is hugely fashionable, currently?

I just Googled it - Can't say I've ever heard of them, although I'm not well known for embodying current fashion trends...

Given the mention of the 1900s, I thought you were talking about the somewhat larger and more impactful General Electric Company - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_Company

[GrouchoM]

What about allowing people to buy the parts that they make? For instance, by just a blade layer or an opener layer. How about supporting modders in this way where the modder has to be certified first to get a parts account with them. This is sort of the way some watch companies work with Independent servicers who need their parts.

Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect™

[nate j]

But I'm not sure it's that redundant. We are talking about a company that routinely puts multiple knife blades and scissors on the same pocket knife, for example.

YMMV, but I don’t consider knife blades and scissors redundant.  Sure there’s some overlap, i.e. tasks that could reasonably be done with either.  But for the most part, I use scissors for tasks that would be difficult to accomplish safely and efficiently with a knife blade (e.g. trimming my mustache) and vice versa (e.g. trimming cigars, cutting cardboard and packaging, cutting food).

I can see how multiple knife blades might be redundant for some, but personally I really like having at least a dirty blade and a clean blade.

As for package opener I would welcome one that doesn't damage goods inside of cardboard boxes, and yet opens them easily. Some professions cut open lots of cardboard boxes everyday and a normal knife do at times cause unnecessary and sometimes costly damage.

I would think that most people who open a lot of boxes as part of their jobs are using dedicated box cutters/utility knives and not their pocket knives/SAKs.  Would anyone who does this as a regular and significant part of their job care to weigh in?

Also, just a modicum of skill and care with a knife prevents accidental damage to package contents.  I use my index finger to control the depth of the cut quite precisely, and cut only as deep as necessary to get through the tape.  If someone attempts to control the depth of cut free hand or simply plunges the blade into the package up to the handle, well, I can see how that might result in problems.

[Vidar]

Isn't it basically what Swiss Bianco did? With Alox Ramblers and all the other special models? But I do not know why Swiss Bianco is out of business now (or remaining on very very limited level)

I'm pretty sure Swiss Bianco ordered larger volumes and that their models were delivered ready and assembled by Victorinox. As opposed to buying at a part level in small volume. (Or possibly at whole layer assemblies instead of parts).

[Vidar]

I would think that most people who open a lot of boxes as part of their jobs are using dedicated box cutters/utility knives and not their pocket knives/SAKs.  Would anyone who does this as a regular and significant part of their job care to weigh in?

Also, just a modicum of skill and care with a knife prevents accidental damage to package contents.  I use my index finger to control the depth of the cut quite precisely, and cut only as deep as necessary to get through the tape.  If someone attempts to control the depth of cut free hand or simply plunges the blade into the package up to the handle, well, I can see how that might result in problems.

I did suggest that as someone who as a student worked at the goods receipt and distribution area of a department store. Yes we had utility knives, and no they don't stop you from cutting too deep at times even with what I dare say was a modicum of skill and care. The most annoying ones were plastic bags or shrink packed plastic packaging with vulnerable stuff inside bursting to get out. Cardboard boxes where one could cut the tape would usually be fine, but cardboard come in different thicknesses, and at volume smurf happens from time to time.

What utility knives did is let you change blade once they go dull, which at that volume is important. A SAK package opener in that volume would wear down rather quickly so not really suited for professional use anyway. But I'll happily take one for my lower volume use today - I'll open packages both faster and safer for sure. I know a package opener would see more use than most other tools on my daily SAK, so I'd like that. Your priorities might very well be different so maybe we won't prefer the same SAK model - but I'd like the option to have one with that.